American Journalist in Liberia Tests Positive for Ebola

Updated at 6:18 am, October 3rd, 2014

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Bumbasor/iStockphoto/Thinkstock(MONROVIA, Liberia) — An American freelance journalist working in Monrovia, Liberia, has tested positive for Ebola, according to NBC News, which hired him as a cameraman earlier this week.

Ashoka Mukpo came down with symptoms on Wednesday, NBC News reported. During a routine examination, the 33-year-old cameraman learned that he had a fever and quarantined himself afterwards.

Earlier Thursday, Mukpo went to the Medecins Sans Frontieres treatment center, where he tested positive for the virus. He’ll be flown back to the U.S. for treatment, NBC News reported.

“As many of you know, Ashoka Mukpo has been engaged with human rights work in West Africa for the last several years,” his father, Mitchell Levy, told ABC News. “When the Ebola outbreak occurred he felt compelled to return to Liberia to help shed light on how the crisis was being handled socially and politically. Having lived there for the last several years, Ashoka was well aware of the risks but felt strongly about trying to help provide honest perspective from the ground level. We recently learned that Ashoka has contracted the Ebola virus.”

“Ashoka is being evacuated to the USA where he will receive the best possible treatment,” Levy said in a statement. “The doctors are optimistic about his prognosis.”

Mukpo is the fourth American to contract Ebola since the outbreak began in West Africa this spring. The first three – Nancy Writebol, Dr. Kent Brantly and Dr. Richard Sacra – were all brought back to the U.S., where they were treated and later released.